Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will learn about what life was like for early American pioneers. After reading about pioneers in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, students will conduct independent research on one aspect of pioneer life. They will write a letter to a friend revealing five things they have learned about their assigned topic. This lesson culminates in the creation of tableaux depicting various pioneer scenes.
Length of Lesson:
Five 45-minute periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grade 4.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- compare and contrast lifestyles of the pioneers with those of today.
- conduct independent Internet research about pioneer living.
- create a tableaux depicting scenes from pioneer life.
Supplies:
- Video depicting pioneer life, such as Annie Get your Gun, The Legend of Davy Crockett, Oklahoma, Little House on the Big Prairie, or Old Yeller (optional; see Teacher References section for some suggested recordings)
- Various props for tableaux of pioneer living (i.e., bonnets, farming tools, brooms, etc.)
Instructional Plan:
Warm Up
Read the class chapters 6, 8, and 10 from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, which describes the Ingalls' family life, home, and Mary's and Laura's chores. Distribute the Vocabulary Handout to the students.
You may wish to show excerpts of a film (or various films) depicting pioneer life, such as Annie Get your Gun, The Legend of Davy Crockett, Oklahoma!, Little House on the Prairie, or Old Yeller.
Lead a discussion about how hard life was in pioneer days and why. You might include some discussion of the dangers of living then and now. As a class, have students complete a chart to compare and contrast life today with the life of a pioneer.
Independent Research
Tell students they will learn more about pioneer life. Through research using
the Internet, students will learn about the following topics:
- recreation and entertainment
- preparing and cooking food
- farming
- jobs (i.e., farmers, laborers, miners, ranchers)
- chores at home
- school
- effect of pioneers on Native Americans
- homes (i.e., sod houses, log cabins, homemade furniture)
- transportation (i.e., covered wagons, stagecoaches, horses)
Divide the class into small groups so that three or four students are researching each of the above topics. Reserve class time in the computer lab and/or assign research to students for homework.
Each student should write a one-page letter to a friend, describing their experiences as a pioneer and focusing on the topic area they have researched. Inform students of the proper format for writing letters. Each letter should reveal at least five new things students have learned about the topic. Remind students that they must write in cursive and use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The following Web sites will be useful for this activity:
If students have trouble finding adequate information on the Internet, aid them in conducting Web searches or provide appropriate print resources.
Introduction to Tableau
Ask students what emotions, attitudes, and feelings can be expressed through their bodies. Ask students to model what an angry person looks like, as well as a sad person, a happy person, etc.
Introduce tableau to students. Explain that tableau is a dramatic convention in which individuals use their bodies to create a frozen scene that expresses actions, locations, feelings or situations.
Initiate two-person tableaux with the students. Pass out scenarios to volunteer students and ask them to pose as if they are in that scenario, but they cannot speak or move. They should not show the scenario to the rest of the class. (Students could act out the following, for example: two friends meeting in the street, a mother and child in the middle of an argument, a policeman chasing after a robber, etc.) After each scenario, the class should try and guess the scene that the two students are trying to depict.
After completing a few scenarios, talk with students about which tableaux were effective and why. How was emotion conveyed through one's body?
Scenes from Pioneer Life
Tell students that they will be creating tableaux that reveals different aspects of pioneer life. A group of three to four students will create a tableau depicting pioneer life. Divide the class by teaming up students who researched the same topic above.
Each team will depict one scene in their assigned topic, which should reveal several aspects of everyday life for pioneers. Students should pay attention to the character they are trying to portray. Tell students that once all the characters are in position and "frozen," you will tap individuals on the shoulder, one by one. This tap signifies that the individual should recite a short monologue describing their actions and how they feel about their action.
Encourage students to bring in props that will reveal more information about the scene they are trying to depict.
Closure
Discuss with the students information they have learned from this lesson. Update the chart developed at the beginning of the class with new information learned.
Assessment:
Read students' letters about life as a pioneer. Did they include five new things they learned about their assigned topic? Was the grammar, punctuation, and spelling?
Assess whether the group's tableau:
- conveyed an event in chronological order.
- revealed knowledge of subject matter.
- was effective in communicating a particular mood and/or event.
Extensions:
Have students record their thoughts in a journal from the point of view of a pioneer child.
Sources:
Print:
- Kalman, Bobbie. The Early Family Home. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1982.
- Morley, Jacqueline, and David Dalsriya. How Would You Survive in the American West? Illustrated by David Antram. London: Orchard Books, 1997.
- Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1935.
Media:
- Rodgers, Richard, and Oscar Hammerstein. Oklahoma!. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. 20th Century Fox, 1955. Videocassette.
- Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie—The Premiere. Adapted from Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Directed by Michael Landon. NBC Productions, 1974. Videocassette.
Authors:
-
Bernard Franklin,
Thomas G. Pullen Arts Magnet School
Landover, MD
